[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

Yes they are and imprint well
My ducklings follow my daughter all over but you can tell the sizes at a day or so old

[Dave C]

Weighed the Sasso Farm Rangers today at 6 weeks they average 1.36kg 
Which is about 300g more than my Sasso Gallic did at that age.




Check out his blue eyes 

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

They are big weights
Almost bigger than my LS X Indian game at 12 weeks old ha
Are they something you have breed yourself

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

I'm contemplating getting another foundation trio/pair of dual traditional breed not sure what to get yet
Any suggestions

I like the idea of the faster growing birds also

[macgro7]

I'm contemplating getting another foundation trio/pair of dual traditional breed not sure what to get yet
Any suggestions

I like the idea of the faster growing birds also

Dorking, ixworth, la bresse?

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

i like the silver dorking they look alot like my silver kraienkoppe bantams

they look a nice hefty bird

i would then the year after bring in an indian game cockerel and run a trio of LS, SD AND IG X LS/DS

SHOULD GIVE ME PLENTY OF MEAT

[Dave C]

They are big weights
Almost bigger than my LS X Indian game at 12 weeks old ha
Are they something you have breed yourself

Yes these are eating machines.
They are from Sasso a French company who are specialist in free range hybrids, the Farm Rangers are medium growth which means the eat more, free range a bit less but dress out at big weights I kept 2 up to 4-5kg last year, the only problem is if you are looking for a sustainable flock they are different keeping them fit enough to breed from, there either to big or have a heart attack.
Something to think about Macgro7 I'm putting the hens I keep back on a strict diet as soon as I separate them from the freezer gang.
The hens are not to bad but the cockerels are massive by 16 weeks.

The Sasso Gallic I keep are slow growth so they are much healthier which is why I've kept back hens and cockerels, the cockerels will also be used in the Farm Ranger breeding pen which I have very high hopes of breeding something special 

[Dave C]

I'm contemplating getting another foundation trio/pair of dual traditional breed not sure what to get yet
Any suggestions

I like the idea of the faster growing birds also

Dorking, ixworth, la bresse?

I've tried most of them and to be honest I found them lacking, I think La Bresse were about the best and the ones I had were huge but still very slow maturing.
The Americans swear by the New Hampshire Reds for fast maturity but it's difficult to find good utility stock over here.
And everything seems slow compared to the hybrids.

The pure IG are worth working on, the ones I hatched last year made 2.3kg in 16 weeks live, so would have had a 2kg dressed bird by 20 weeks.
Also with the IG it's the shape that's the best, as if you dress a bird at say 1.5kg the IG will have the same wide breasted shape which holds a lot of meat on it, something else like say an Ixworth at 1.5kg will be all frame & no meat on the breast.

But if these Sasso Gallic breed true they will take some beating as a duel purpose bird.

[macgro7]

I wanted to get la bresse this spring but got everything else instead lol
Broilers growing like mad! Eating like pigs! I'll separate the white Ross from the sasso this weekend. Sasso will go to free range and Ross will stay in the chicken tractor and will be fattened up for the next two weeks. Untill they are 7 weeks old and then will go to the freezer.
I'm very pleased with my dorkings so far. Obviously they are only 12 weeks old but you can see there will be meat on them. Already nearly the size of adult welsummer hen.
U know a lot of first broilers in this country were based on indian game crossed with dorking. It must be a good cross... or so I hope....
Anyway, this weekend I'm expecting silver dorkings and indian game to hatch 

[Dave C]

Yes they will make some nice crosses looking forward to seeing them, they will make some nice sizes and some excellent flavour 
Will you be hatching any more batches after them ?

Good luck with the hatch mate.

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

I wanted to get la bresse this spring but got everything else instead lol
Broilers growing like mad! Eating like pigs! I'll separate the white Ross from the sasso this weekend. Sasso will go to free range and Ross will stay in the chicken tractor and will be fattened up for the next two weeks. Untill they are 7 weeks old and then will go to the freezer.
I'm very pleased with my dorkings so far. Obviously they are only 12 weeks old but you can see there will be meat on them. Already nearly the size of adult welsummer hen.
U know a lot of first broilers in this country were based on indian game crossed with dorking. It must be a good cross... or so I hope....
Anyway, this weekend I'm expecting silver dorkings and indian game to hatch 

I will keep an eye out with interest

[Dave C]

My a Farm Rangers are goin into there big grow out pen tomorrow night as there tractor isn't big enough for 13 of them now.

Are you looking to keep both hens and Cockerels back mate or just hens to cross with your Dorking cockerels?

[macgro7]

Probably the last hatch for this year.
I don't think I would be keeping any more cockerels l. Just a couple of hens

[Dave C]

I like the idea of keeping a Farm Ranger cockerel but fear it will go off its legs, if there is a light one I might be tempted to give it a try 

[shari]

Hi Dave

This thread is so useful! I am planning the same. I have Ixworth hens that are coming into lay and the Sasso Slow Growers (sorry don't know the exact specification but they look exactly like yours) who are 12 weeks now. This morning one of my Sasso cockerels crowed. He is quite chunky, but shows all signs of normal cockerel behaviour (more than the others), so I am thinking he might be a good choice to cross with my Ixworth. Obviously, I am also worried he might not make it and am thinking I might feed him differently and put him together with the Ixworth hens now.

I am also going to try it the other way round, get some Sasso hens to lay and breed with my Ixworth cockerel.

I had all my Sasso free ranging without a pen until a few days ago. Now I think it is time to get some more weight on and was wondering what you feed them to get them table ready? (Sorry if this has been discussed before, I didn't read all 16 pages of theís thread!)

Thanks
Shari